Cal men's basketball team upsets No. 7 Arizona 77-69

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Three days after a loss at Arizona State he wanted to forget, Cal's Allen Crabbe had an afternoon he will always remember.

"Man, I don't know how to explain this feeling. It's just wonderful," Crabbe said after scoring 31 points to lead the Golden Bears to a 77-69 upset of No. 7 Arizona in front of 14,545 fans Sunday at McKale Center. "I have no words for how I feel."

The Bears (14-9, 6-5 Pac-12) beat Arizona in Tucson for just the second time since 1994-95, scored a road win over a team ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll for the first time since 2008 and defeated their highest-ranked foe since 2007.

Even including a home win over then-No. 10 Oregon eight days earlier, this was, without any doubt, the Bears' signature performance of the season.

TUCSON, AZ - FEBRUARY 10: Allen Crabbe #23 and David Kravish #45 of the California Golden Bears celebrate after defeating the Arizona Wildcats 77-69 in the college basketball game at McKale Center on February 10, 2013 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

"It's a heck of a win for us," Cal coach Mike Montgomery said. "Coming off a disappointment at ASU to get this one is pretty good."

Cal lost to the Sun Devils 66-62 after Crabbe committed two turnovers in the final 41 seconds.

"I had those two crucial turnovers, and I told myself from the beginning of this game I'm going to be aggressive, all 40 (minutes)," Crabbe said.

Junior guard Justin Cobbs, who scored 21 points, said the Bears embraced Crabbe after the ASU game and told him the loss was not his fault. On Sunday, Cobbs said, his teammate put all that behind him.

"Man, being on the court with him was just tremendous," Cobbs said. "He was knocking down anything. The team just fed off him."

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"Allen was very good," Montgomery said.

Crabbe shot 12 for 15 from the field, added seven rebounds and five assists. He scored 11 points in a span of 3:24 as Cal opened the second half with a 17-2 burst. He capped that run with a four-point play, nailing a 3-pointer and converting a free throw to give Cal a 50-40 lead.

"Sometimes a special player like Allen Crabbe can have a special night. That's exactly what he had," Arizona coach Sean Miller said.

The Wildcats (20-3, 8-3) lost for just the second time in 13 home games, struggling against two new wrinkles Montgomery tried.

Cal, which plays primarily man-to-man defense, used a zone most of the second half, allowing it to stay out of foul trouble and keep the Wildcats from easily penetrating the lane. Arizona shot 50 percent from beyond the 3-point line but just 34 percent from inside the arc.

"It took them out of their rhythm," said Crabbe, who used his 6-foot-6 length at the top of the zone. "Everybody was on point tonight -- everybody rotated and helped their teammates."

Montgomery said the zone was effective because the Bears made baskets, allowing them to retreat and set up on defense. Cal unveiled a high-post weave and handoff set on offense to shoot 59 percent against one of the Pac-12's best defensive teams.

"That's the best job anyone has played against our defense," Miller said.

It wasn't all Crabbe and Cobbs. Freshman guard Tyrone Wallace had seven assists and zero turnovers. And senior reserve Bak Bak took a charge on defense and scored six points -- the most he's scored in a game since December 2011.

"We need individual performances, plus a team effort," Crabbe said. "Me and Justin did a great job tonight, and our teammates helped us a lot. The team effort tonight was great."

Arizona fought back repeatedly, but Cal never caved. Each time the Wildcats made a run, the Bears had an answer, allowing them to stay confident as the noise built in McKale.

Arizona trailed 71-69 with 2:02 left after Mark Lyons answered a 3-pointer by Cobbs with one of his own. Crabbe then drove the right baseline and dropped in a tough shot over 6-10 freshman Grant Jerrett.

Arizona didn't make another shot, firing up two air-ball 3-pointers in the final minute. Cobbs iced the win with a layup in traffic and two free throws.

Cal hadn't beaten a team ranked as high as the Wildcats since a 76-69 overtime victory against No. 3 UCLA in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament on March 18, 2007.

The Bears' most recent road win over a top-10 foe was a 69-64 conquest of No. 9 Washington State on Jan. 31, 2008.